The invention relates to a guide wire for introducing an implantable electrode line, in particular a heart electrode line for intracardial sensing of cardiac action potentials and/or for electrical stimulation or defibrillation of the heart as well as a corresponding electrode line itself, and finally a combination of a guide wire and an electrode line.
Implantable electrode lines with said functions have been known for a long time and in a great variety of forms in connection with implantable pacemakers or defibrillators heavily used in practice. Since these electrode lines, due to the course of the vascular system in which they extend from the implantable device into the heart of the patient, must have a high degree of flexibility, a guide wire is needed as a tool for their implantation. In order to be able to receive the guide wire, the electrode lines have a cavity extending in the longitudinal direction, the so-called lumen. With the guide wire used, the electrode line can be guided, with observation of its path by means of an imaging process, with precise targeting into heart, where, if needed, it is possible, by turning a grip on the proximal end of the guide wire, to steer its distal end, provided with a curvature, in the desired direction.
In the case of the known implantation processes of this type the guide wire (mandrin) is pushed in up to the distal stop in the electrode line. Thereby the electrode is, if necessary, stretched and obtains a curve and rigidity, which make possible its introduction into the heart through the (venous) vascular system—which however assumes that the guide wire remains in place reliably, essentially over the entire extension of the lumen of the electrode line. As a consequence of the diverse manipulations by the implanter however, unintended displacements occur relatively frequently in the customary arrangements and under certain circumstances the guide wire slips out of the lumen of the electrode line.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,782 a lockable guide wire for inserting and replacing a dilatation catheter is known. There a spirally expandable section of the guide wire serves for its reliable positioning relative to a lesion when the dilatation catheter pulled out and replaced by a new one.
From U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,461 an infusion guide wire with fixed core wire is known. The proximal end of this core wire is affixed to a proximal connecting housing for the connection of an infusion lumen.